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the object is not to turn it all to little pieces. a big enough breaker hammer should make larger chunks to remove and not turn it to dust.

i was watching a 6 story hospital being torn down with a hydraulic breaker. sort of like watching a monster truck show. this machine would grab ahould of the concrete and concrete beams and literally take a bite out of it. amazing to watch from accross the street.

now if only they made a propress adapter to take a bite out of the concrete and steel.

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Well they use fibercrete here often. And the holes we bust aren't usually more than a foot. And we use the old trusty sledge. So, often times it's many small pieces and a ton of powder. Was hoping for something more optimistic about the shop vac.

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Why don't you buy a cheap med size jackhammer. I own one bought from Harborfright and although I bought it mainly to excavate my backyard I've also used it to dig out a hole in concrete about the diameter you're talking about. Very easy to control the diameter of the cut and I don't recall lots of powder. On the other hand a sledge is likely to crush a lot of concrete and create powder.

I only paid about $150 or so for the tool as I recall and after putting about 30 hours of run time it still runs without any issues.

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Well they use fibercrete here often. And the holes we bust aren't usually more than a foot. And we use the old trusty sledge. So, often times it's many small pieces and a ton of powder. Was hoping for something more optimistic about the shop vac.

if you want to open a small hole in a slab you could core drill or drill the outline of the opening with a series of 3/4 or 1" holes with a Hilti drill then break that out in a couple large chunks. But a wet 12" core bit with a vac to suck up the muck would leave the cleanest hole I think and probably be the faster than beating on the slab with a sledge, easier on you too.

"When we build let us think we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work that our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone upon stone, that a time is to come when these stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, "See! This our fathers did for us."
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

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really the trick to breaking concrete is having a place for it to go, some place for it to move to, if you take a jack hammer to the center of the floor, and start busting you can stick your hammer in all broke up concrete, as it will pack around the chisel and some times even stick it where you will have to get a second chisel and chip the first one out,

OK even making a cut with a saw first will control the break and keep it clean, and then one can chip off the edges and many time just lift out the center of it,

if you beating it do death with a sledge hammer, the vac may help you,

but I would (if you have a decent sized hammer drill or demo hammer or jack hammer, even rent one) about any thing is better than that sledge hammer,

but once one gets a small hole made clean it out and give the concrete some place to go to, as your finding out a bunch of packed crumbled concrete and be very tough to move, if it has no place to go,

Push sticks/blocks Save Fingers
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Comment

of course if you wanted to spend some money. buy a concrete gas chain say and you will easily be able to cut and lift out the 1' section without overcut. of course the gas fumes indoor and noise will probably not be a good thing. not to mention the slurry spitting all over the place. an electric skil saw with a little water to keep the dust down is cheap, fast and makes a 2.5'' deep cut very quick. well under $200. with the blade.

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of course if you wanted to spend some money. buy a concrete gas chain say and you will easily be able to cut and lift out the 1' section without overcut. of course the gas fumes indoor and noise will probably not be a good thing. not to mention the slurry spitting all over the place. an electric skil saw with a little water to keep the dust down is cheap, fast and makes a 2.5'' deep cut very quick. well under $200. with the blade.

rick.

Actually if you want to go that route the cheapest and easiest would be an angle grinder outfitted with some Loc-Line hose to a garden hose adapter for a waterfeed. I've seen people use those gas cut-off saws and the dust is terrible.

Shop VAC is a tool that is always out while I'm breaking for a few reasons
- When I'm chasing a water leak I'm constantly removing water to get an idea on direction
- No matter if you are cutting or breaking you will be making plenty of dust that can be knocked dowen with a good shop VAC and filter
- Once you get to the fill the shop vac makes removing wet / dry fill sand and gravel a breeze.

If you are not breaking a lot of concrete don't buy cheap just rent (buy cheap buy twice), If you rent a cutter that uses diamond blades buy the blade from HD or lowes don't rent it, Rental houses charge for blade wear by the thousandth it adds up quick...

Concrete saws are nice but damn near impossible to use indoors without a carpet blower moving air, speaking of carpet blower it is a tool that I use constantly.

A concrete chainsaw should be left at the shop as it's only advantage is that it cuts a square hole and is only needed in the most specialized applications, Just rent a core drill and bits.

Diamond blades wet or dry cut concrete easily but always try to cut with water as it knocks down the dust and saves wear on diamond blade.

When you get to the point that you are going to buy concrete demo tools ( I have tried them all), You will get what you pay for.
- Hilti Concrete tools are the best in the world and are priced as such but soooo worth it (TS-1500 breaker / TE-72 Hammer Drill)
- Echo offers a better warranty then Stihl but the Echo Quickie Saw is heavier ( I use the Stihl TS 420 and have been happy with it )
- After going through 2-3 Shop-VAC brand vacs a year, I switched to Ridgid and have been going through one a year. ( Ridgid 6.5 hp / 16 gallon)
- Carpet fan to control dust / Move Air in crappy locations (Carpet Foxx 3450 CFM Blower)
- 36" Bolt cutters to cut wire mesh and rebar when you are not using a quickie saw (you can use a grinder but they are not a good idea in a wet situation)

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Actually if you want to go that route the cheapest and easiest would be an angle grinder outfitted with some Loc-Line hose to a garden hose adapter for a waterfeed. I've seen people use those gas cut-off saws and the dust is terrible.

This is a horrible and dangerous idea...

Water and an Electric Tool, do you have any idea how much water is thrown around when you are wet cutting?